Lincolnshire woman says childhood poverty has "lasting impact"
Young mum Freya is speaking in Westminster on Wednesday alongside Action for Children, who want to see over a million children lifted out of poverty
A Lincolnshire woman is calling on the Government to help lift more than a million children out of poverty by scrapping the two-child benefit cap.
Freya is speaking in Westminster on Wednesday as part of Action for Children's 'Pay the Price' campaign.
The young mum spent her childhood in and out of poverty and became homeless at the age of 15, when she was taken into care.
I was having my food stolen, which impacted how much money I then had because I had to replace what had been taken
"I was bullied during my care experience, so obviously that had a major impact on me. I was often alone," said Freya.
"With the very little money I had, I was having my food stolen, which impacted how much money I then had because I had to replace what had been taken.
"It affected my mental health."
"It's affected how I am now with decisions on money."
"You always have that constant ticking in the back of your mind of 'if I spend this, will I still have enough for this?"
"It doesn't just affect your short term, it does affect your long term as well because you're constantly thinking."
Now in her early twenties Freya has a fourth month old baby with her a partner Liam.
The family, like many, receive Healthy Start vouchers from the NHS which can be spent on milk and healthy foods.
"Healthy Start with having a child is very limited," said Freya.
"I see it as I'm quite fortunate, but other people might not be. They might only rely on the Healthy Start, and with it only being £34 a month it's next to nothing really."
"Our son he loves his food, so we go probably through a tube and a half of formula a week and the formula is £13."
New research from Action for Children warns that a narrow focus on boosting income from parental employment in the Government's forthcoming Child Poverty Strategy ‘will barely shift the dial’ on family hardship levels, lifting only 150,000 children out of poverty by the end of the decade.
Poverty has a price too
They claim scrapping the two-child limit and benefit cap are essential to any ambitious reduction in poverty rate, as well as being most cost-effective option.
"Our report sets out the path by which this government can consign our shamefully high levels of child hardship to history. The question now is whether it is willing to do what’s needed," said CEO at Action for Children, Paul Carberry.
"This research makes clear that a Child Poverty Strategy which focuses on boosting parents’ income through employment will barely shift the dial.
"If the government wants to keep its promise to significantly reduce child poverty and keep it down in the long term, this means scrapping the caps, boosting benefits and building more social homes too.
"In the current fiscal climate, there’s no doubt this will require difficult choices – but poverty has a price too."
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